Dining Out: Komachi pleasing Japanese fare

File this under culinary tragedy: In Japan, the fine art of making sushi is increasingly relegated to robots.

As a longtime sushi addict (with spicy, crunchy, tuna sushi my current drug of choice), I responded to this news by rushing to Komachi, a Japanese restaurant with an old-school sushi chef.

Owner Frank Han trained as a sushi chef in his native South Korea, then practiced his craft for 20 years in New York City. Ten years ago, he and his wife came to Syracuse to open Komachi, which has migrated from Hanover Square to Harrison Street and finally to its current location near the Syracuse University campus.

Our party of four — including an American who had lived in Tokyo — visited Komachi on a quiet Friday evening as it caught its breath between semesters. Inside, the lights were low and the mood subdued — except for the neon-clad Korean pop stars on the large television screen. As we sipped Asahi Japanese beer and Junmai Shu sake — with a round, toasty taste — our companion chronicled Japan’s passion for American fast food and America’s corresponding infatuation with sushi.

Meanwhile, Komachi’s sushi chef — precise, polished and very proper — set to work constructing his best-selling spicy, crunchy tuna roll ($6.99); a California roll with avocado, crab and cucumber; and an assortment of pure-and-simple sushi: raw, thinly sliced tuna, salmon and red snapper draped over sushi rice (sushi and California roll are included in the $19.99 Syracuse bento box).

The tuna roll sparkled with crunchy panko crumbs, vinegary rice and Han’s secret spicy sauce but never outdazzled the stellar tuna. Its rich flavor was fully developed, its texture firm — no simple feat. Freshly caught fish is usually flash frozen to destroy pathogens. Once defrosted, the fish remains at its peak — and capable of contributing that incomparable umami flavor, for at most a day or two.

The shrimp tempura entree ($16.99) featured six skewers of large, sweet shrimp in a crisp, fragile shell that dissolved on the tongue. But some of the magic was lost when we discovered a second layer of soggy batter encasing the shrimp.

Our Tokyo friend, who came back to the States with a craving for Japanese noodles, happily slurped Komachi’s fat yaki udon noodles ($9.99 with chicken and vegetables) in a deep-flavored sauce.

She also recommended the tonkatsu pork cutlet ($10.99) — pounded thin, panko-coated and deep fried. The pork was tender, but its flavor was subtle — until dipped in a sauce with echoes of Worcestershire. Like tempura, ton katsu was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese, who helped prime the country’s palate for western food. Tonkatsu is traditionally served with cabbage, but Komachi replaces it with potato salad, which Han says his American customers find more to their liking.

As we listened to Han discuss these nuances and watched his intense focus behind the sushi counter, we felt reassured. No robot waits in the wings — only Han’s son. After years as an apprentice, he now works beside the master.